DEFRA has recently completed a review of the Flood Protection Grant Scheme. The review was based on a pilot project conducted in Appleby, Cumbria, where local householders and businesses were offered free flood risk reduction surveys. They were also offered grants toward the cost of putting protective measures in place.

The results of the scheme showed that:

Given information and support, householders and businesses were capable of and keen to manage their own flood protection measures

General levels of anxiety about flooding were reduced

The project acted as a catalyst for local collective action

Local leaders were a vital part of the emergency response network

These findings suggest a growing awareness of flood risk. They also show that effective public partnerships can empower a community to take ownership of their flood risk.

Exercise Watermark
In March 2011, DEFRA and the Welsh Assembly Government will conduct a large-scale emergency flooding exercise across England and Wales. The exercise, commissioned by the Environment Agency, is designed to test responses to severe, wide-area flooding. It will also test the effectiveness of measures recommended in Sir Michael Pitt’s review of the summer 2007 floods.

Exercise Watermark will use scenarios based on severe weather conditions including flooding from the sea, rivers, surface water and reservoirs. Participants will include central government departments, Local Authorities, the Ministry of Defence and many community-based groups.

Monday, 17 January 2011

As construction continues on ‘The Shard of Glass’, critics claim that their worst fears have been realised. The 310 metre tower, they say, is rapidly becoming a blot on the urban landscape. Their particular concern is the impact the new building is having on views across London.

London has a framework of six protected views from elevated areas in parks to both St Paul’s Cathedral and the Palace of Westminster. This means that there is a legal requirement within urban planning to preserve these views by limiting the height of new buildings within or adjacent to a particular sightline. This legislation is designed to preserve particular landmarks as the focus of a view. The protection may also cover the area behind the place or building concerned.

English Heritage claims that the protected view of St Paul’s from Parliament Hill has been compromised. While the new building lies behind St Paul’s, they argue, the iconic silhouette of the dome has been lost. This was exactly the concern raised by English Heritage during the public enquiry regarding proposals to build The Shard.

Other commentators are more positive about The Shard and welcome it as an exciting addition to the skyline of a dynamic ‘living’ city. They are confident that it will very quickly become an iconic and popular feature in its own right.

Whichever side of the argument you favour, the debate is certain to continue.

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